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enSnowshoer on Kekekabic Trail thought missinghttp://www.wtip.org/snowshoer-kekekabic-trail-thought-missing
<p>The Cook County Sheriff&rsquo;s Office was contacted just after 8 p.m. on March 16 to inform them of a possible missing person. John Oker-Blom, 45, of Minneapolis, had planned to snowshoe the Kekekabic Trail from the Gunflint Trail to Ely, a distance of approximately 40 miles. He set out on the hike at about 10 a.m. on March 15.<br />
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His partner, Daria Day, was following his journey with a SPOT GPS locator. After Oker-Blom had not moved for more than five hours, she contacted Cook County law enforcement dispatch to let them know assistance might be needed. His SPOT locator showed him in the same point on the trail from 1 p.m. to past 7 p.m. It appeared he was about 12 miles in from the trailhead.<br />
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Oker-Blom had not activated the emergency response button on the SPOT locator, but from discussion they had before he set out, Day said she felt he might need help. She said he was very experienced with this type of excursion and had appropriate clothing and supplies for staying on the trail several nights so she didn&rsquo;t think there was a need for responders to set out in the dark. She was traveling to the Gunflint area from the Twin Cities and planned to head out on the trail in the morning to try to reach Oker-Blom by two-way radio.<br />
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When Oker-Blom&rsquo;s SPOT locator showed that he had still not moved the next morning, a search effort was begun. Just before 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 17, a sheriff deputy, a US Forest Service officer and US Border Patrol unit met with members of the Gunflint Trail Search and Rescue at Gunflint Fire Hall 3. Searchers asked for assistance from the Minnesota State Patrol with aircraft, which was authorized at 11 a.m.<br />
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According to the Cook County Sheriff&rsquo;s Office, at approximately 12 p.m., Day received another SPOT location signal from Oker-Blom. His new location was at French Lake, more than two miles from where the locator had last sent a signal. It appeared that Oker-Blom had diverted away from the Kekekabic Trail, but was now following his tracks back.<br />
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Oker-Blom had still not pressed the SOS button on the SPOT locator and was moving at a healthy pace back out, so the search and rescue response effort was cancelled. Responders asked Day to contact the Sheriff&rsquo;s Office if further help was needed. Emergency responders were clear of the scene at 1:54 p.m.</p>
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Local NewsMon, 19 Mar 2018 04:02:58 +0000wtip47361 at http://www.wtip.orgIncreasing bear hunt proves valuable to moose calves on Grand Portage landhttp://www.wtip.org/increasing-bear-hunt-proves-valuable-moose-calves-grand-portage-land
<p>In response to high predation rates of moose calves in recent years throughout northeastern Minnesota, wildlife officials from the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa took a proactive approach to address the situation.</p>
<p>One direct means to negate calf predation from predators was to increase the number of bear Grand Portage band members can harvest annually. This includes adding a spring bear hunt and increasing the overall number of bear harvested each year on tribal lands.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Dr. Seth Moore, director of biology and environment for the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, talks with WTIP&rsquo;s Joe Friedrichs about increasing the number of bears band members can hunt each year and what the result has been with regard to survival of moose calves. &nbsp;<br />
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Local NewsSun, 18 Mar 2018 10:20:00 +0000wtip47331 at http://www.wtip.orgUpdate on Lutsen Mountains expansion planhttp://www.wtip.org/update-lutsen-mountains-expansion-plan
<p>Lutsen Mountains continues with plans for expansion of the North Shore downhill ski resort.</p>
<p>In May, the U.S. Forest Service accepted the resort&rsquo;s plan to expand ski runs onto Superior National Forest land. This project will essentially double the size of its downhill operations.</p>
<p>WTIP&rsquo;s Joe Friedrichs spoke with Lutsen Mountains co-owner Tom Rider for an update on the expansion plans.&nbsp;<br />
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Local NewsSat, 17 Mar 2018 16:20:00 +0000wtip47328 at http://www.wtip.orgLow turnout for township elections, annual meetingshttp://www.wtip.org/low-turnout-township-elections-annual-meetings
<p>All of the townships in the state of Minnesota meet second Tuesday in March &ndash; all 87 townships, including Lutsen, Tofte and Schroeder. Township citizens took part in township annual meetings and elections on Tuesday, March 13.</p>
<p>Turnout at the polls was low this year, likely because there were no challengers to the incumbents.</p>
<p><strong>In Lutsen,</strong> the incumbent supervisor is Christine Ordemann and clerk is Sharon Hexum-Platzer and they were both re-elected.</p>
<p>Lutsen citizens in attendance discussed a request for $7,000 in financial support for the Birch Grove Community Center in Tofte. Townships learned last year that state statute does not allow contributions to schools, so the money cannot go to Birch Grove Community School. Citizens voiced support for the request, contingent on the Tofte township providing information on how those funds would be used. Supervisors make the ultimate decision on contributions, but seek citizen input.</p>
<p>Lutsen also endorsed a donation of $1,000 to the Lutsen Junior Alpine Team and a contribution of $1,500 for the West End 4th of July celebration at the Tofte Park.</p>
<p><strong>In Tofte</strong>, there were about 20 votes with Supervisor Sam Crowley and Clerk Barb Gervais re-elected. There were a few random votes, including one vote for Bill Huggins for supervisor and several votes for treasurer.</p>
<p>Clerk Barb Gervais said another reason for the low turnout was because there were no major community issues.</p>
<p><strong>In Schroeder,</strong> Supervisor Bruce Martinson was re-elected with 16 of 17 votes and Clerk Doug Schwecke was re-elected with 19 of 19 votes.</p>
<p>At the Schroeder Annual Meeting, the township selects a &ldquo;Citizen of the Year&rdquo; who is then honored at the Tofte 4th of July celebration. The 2018 citizen of the year is Bud Buckman, who is recognized for his many years of plowing the Gitchi Gami Bike Trail.</p>
<p>All of the townships continue their annual meetings until August, when the 2019 levy will be set.<br />
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Local NewsFri, 16 Mar 2018 15:51:49 +0000wtip47340 at http://www.wtip.orgIsle Royale to get dozens of wolves over 3-year spanhttp://www.wtip.org/isle-royale-get-dozens-wolves-over-3-year-span
<p>The federal government announced March 16 that Isle Royale&#39;s decimated wolf population will get an infusion of 20 to 30 new wolves over the next three years.</p>
<p>The National Park Service <a href="https://parkplanning.nps.gov/document.cfm?parkID=140&amp;projectID=59316&amp;documentID=86353" target="_blank">published the plan in the Federal Register.</a></p>
<p>As of January, there were only two wolves remaining on the island, as the wolf population has been slowly declining due to inbreeding and genetic deformities.</p>
<p>The 45-mile-long, 143,000-acre island is located about 15 miles off Minnesota&#39;s North Shore.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Federal wildlife officials estimate there are approximately 2,000 or more moose now on the island. Without more wolves, scientists say, the moose will continue to increase and cause environmental damage across the island and will begin to starve to death.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/science-and-nature/4418528-isle-royale-wolf-reintroduction-moves-closer" target="_blank">The Duluth News Tribune </a>reports the Humane Society of the U.S. was among the first to weigh in Friday supporting the Park Service decision.</p>
<p>&ldquo;With the loss of Isle Royale&rsquo;s ice bridges due to climate change, wolves could not reach the island.&nbsp; This spelled disaster not only for the park&rsquo;s environmental health, but doomed its overabundant moose population to slow, cruel starvation,&rdquo; said Nicole Paquette, vice president of wildlife at The Humane Society of the United States.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2018/03/16/isle-royale-wolves/431148002/" target="_blank">The Detroit Free Press reports</a> that overall, the plan attracted nearly 5,000 comments, with some arguing that it sets a dangerous precedent that may violate the federal Wilderness Act&rsquo;s requirement that lands remain &ldquo;untrammeled&rdquo; by human intervention. One well-known group, Wilderness Watch, called on the Park Service to not intervene, saying that &ldquo;is the only alternative that respects the wolves&#39; autonomy and lets them decide whether or not they inhabit Isle Royale.&rdquo;</p>
<p>&ldquo;Perhaps the wolves intuitively know of the genetic downsides to island isolation,&rdquo; the group wrote.</p>
<p>In the draft environmental study, the Park Service says it will look to capture Great Lakes wolves that are known to feed on moose as one of their prey sources, are in good health with no apparent injuries and have the appropriate genetic diversity to sustain a viable population on the island.</p>
<p>Capture and relocation efforts would take place between late fall and late winter. Relocated wolves will be fitted with radio or GPS collars so they can be tracked.</p>
<p><a href="https://parkplanning.nps.gov/document.cfm?parkID=140&amp;projectID=59316&amp;documentID=86353" target="_blank">Click here for a direct link</a> to the Isle Royale plan from the National Park Service.&nbsp;<br />
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Local NewsFri, 16 Mar 2018 15:47:49 +0000wtip47336 at http://www.wtip.orgCook County delegation visits with officials at state Capitolhttp://www.wtip.org/cook-county-delegation-visits-officials-state-capitol
<p>This week a delegation of Cook County residents went to the Capitol in St. Paul to speak with Minnesota legislators about projects that are important to Cook County.<br />
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Those making the trip included:<br />
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--Charles Skinner, the co-president of Lutsen Mountains</p>
<p>--Mary Somnis, director of the Cook County-Grand Marais EDA</p>
<p>--Jay Arrowsmith DeCoux, mayor of Grand Marais</p>
<p>--Karen Blackburn, executive director, Cook County Higher Education</p>
<p>--Bill Crandall, superintendent, ISD 166</p>
<p>--Jim Boyd, Executive Director, Cook County Chamber</p>
<p>This is a bonding year, and the delegation was strongly encouraging legislators to fund two bonding priorities:</p>
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<li>$2.3 million for a new DNR public water access on the southwest corner of Grand Marais Harbor</li>
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<li>And $3 million for three segments of the Gitchi Gami State Trail, a bike trail paralleling Highway 61 that will eventually stretch from Two Harbors to Grand Marais.</li>
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The delegation was also seeking $150,000 in additional workforce development funds for Cook County Higher Education. &nbsp;Rep. Rob Ecklund has introduced a bill in the House to accomplish this. The bill was heard in committee this week in St. Paul.<br />
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In the interview posted below, WTIP&#39;s Joe Friedrichs speaks with District 3A Rep. Rob Ecklund about the Higher Ed funding bill and his visit with the Cook County delegation this week.&nbsp;<br />
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Local NewsThu, 15 Mar 2018 15:08:39 +0000wtip47304 at http://www.wtip.orgMan found dead after fall in Grand Portagehttp://www.wtip.org/man-found-dead-after-fall-grand-portage
<p>The Cook County Sheriff&rsquo;s Office, Grand Portage Ambulance and First Responders and Cook County Ambulance responded to a residence in the Bay Estates area of Grand Portage around&nbsp;<span data-term="goog_655930283" tabindex="0">5 a.m.</span>&nbsp;on&nbsp;<span data-term="goog_655930281" tabindex="0">Sunday</span>, March 11.</p>
<p>Kevin Wilfred Morrisseau, 47, was found unconscious and later pronounced deceased after reportedly falling from a second-story patio door that did not have a deck attached.<br />
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Morrisseau, a resident of Thunder Bay, Ontario, was an employee at the Grand Portage Lodge &amp; Casino and was socializing with friends in Grand Portage at the time of the incident.&nbsp;The call came in to 911 Dispatch at 4:54 a.m.<br />
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An autopsy is being conducted to determine the exact cause of death.<br />
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Local NewsMon, 12 Mar 2018 20:08:21 +0000wtip47249 at http://www.wtip.orgWater pipeline from Lake Superior begins to show value for Lutsen Mountains http://www.wtip.org/water-pipeline-lake-superior-begins-show-value-lutsen-mountains
<p>The winter of 2017-18 was a step in the right direction for the Lake Superior-Poplar River Water District water-pipeline project. This comes after years of planning, and on the heels of several miscues in recent years regarding the pipeline project. &nbsp;</p>
<p>WTIP&rsquo;s Joe Friedrichs spoke with Lutsen Mountains Co-owner Tom Rider about the status of the water pipeline project.&nbsp;<br />
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Local NewsMon, 12 Mar 2018 11:20:00 +0000wtip47227 at http://www.wtip.orgArrowhead Electric CEO talks renewable energy in Cook Countyhttp://www.wtip.org/arrowhead-electric-ceo-talks-renewable-energy-cook-county
<p>Arrowhead Electric Cooperative based in Cook County continues to work at offering customers more renewable energy resources and opportunities. This follows a trend across Minnesota, as renewable energy continues to become more popular and affordable in 2018.</p>
<p>WTIP&rsquo;s Joe Friedrichs recently spoke with Arrowhead Electric CEO Joe Pandy about renewable energy in Cook County.&nbsp;<br />
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Local NewsSun, 11 Mar 2018 11:20:00 +0000wtip47226 at http://www.wtip.orgGrand Portage moose count finds numbers stable, animals healthyhttp://www.wtip.org/grand-portage-moose-count-finds-numbers-stable-animals-healthy
<p>Northeastern Minnesota&rsquo;s moose population dropped some during the past year, but it appears to have leveled off after the big declines of a decade ago.</p>
<p>According to a&nbsp;press release sent to WTIP, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources reported in mid-February that its annual winter moose estimate came in at 3,030 moose, an 18 percent drop compared to 3,710 moose in 2017. The agency said the decline was statistically insignificant.</p>
<p>The state conducts an aerial survey each winter, flying helicopters over predetermined quadrants to count moose. Biologists enter those numbers into a formula to determine the overall population across the 6,000 square miles of moose range in Cook, Lake and St. Louis counties.</p>
<p>Statistically, the DNR is 90 percent certain that the population is somewhere between 2,320 and 4,140 moose<br />
Meanwhile, a separate moose count took place in northeastern Minnesota in early March on the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Reservation.</p>
<p>Dr. Seth Moore, director of biology and environment for the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, talks with WTIP&rsquo;s Joe Friedrichs about the 2018 moose count and the status of the iconic species on Grand Portage lands.&nbsp;<br />
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<a href="/content/dr-seth-moore-grand-portage-wildlife-biologist">Dr. Seth Moore - Grand Portage Wildlife Biologist</a> </div>
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Local NewsThu, 08 Mar 2018 19:42:55 +0000wtip47204 at http://www.wtip.org